ALAMOSA, Colo. A strong second quarter by Adams State University was too much for Western Colorado to overcome on Friday (Dec. 2), resulting in them falling 61-81 to the Grizzlies.
 
JUST THE FACTS
Final Score: Adams State def. Western Colorado 81-61
Records: Western Colorado 1-5, Adams State 6-2.
Location: Plachy Hall; Alamosa, Colo.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Things were neck and neck early on as neither team was able to take control of the game. However, when the end of the quarter ended the Mountaineers had a 17-16 lead. Trailing 9-12, Natalie Sumrok and Emmery Wagstaff helped Western take the lead. Sumrok knocked down a jumper, while Wagstaff hit a three-pointer giving the Mountaineers a 14-12 lead. The Grizzlies tied the game two possessions later. But a Kylie Krise three-pointer gave Western the lead once again.  
• In the second quarter Adams State offense got hot, leading to them starting the quarter on a 18-4 run. Wagstaff and Hayley Valencia managed to briefly stop the run, Wagstaff draining a three-pointer and Valencia knocking down a jumper and two free throws – cutting the lead to 28-40.
• The Grizzlies capitalized every time Western made a mistake, scoring 17-points off turnovers in the first half. At halftime the Mountaineers trailed 32-49.
• Not much changed for Western coming out of halftime, resulting in them being outscored 15-9 in the quarter. Rachel Cockman led the way in the quarter scoring five-points. Valencia also pitched in with three-points and Caileen Sienknecht scored her first career point sinking a free throw.  Heading into the fourth quarter the Mountaineers were down 41-65.
• Western had their best quarter of the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Grizzlies 20-17. At one point in the quarter the Mountaineers were down by 32-points. But, with 2:18 left in the quarter Western continued to fight and started to chip away at the lead. Mia Lozoya's back-to-back two-point jumpers sparked a 9-2 run to end the game.

COURT NOTES

• Valencia led the charge on offense, scoring 18-points (7-of-13) and also tied the team high in rebounds with seven. Sumrok also finished the game with seven rebounds. Cockman and Wagstaff were also a factor on offense pitching in with 12 and 10-points.
• On defense, Wagstaff was the leader in the steal's category recording three and Sumrok was the leader in the block's category with two.
• The Mountaineers struggled taking care of the basketball, turning the ball over 25 times in the game, which led to 32-points for Adams State. The Grizzlies only had eight turnovers in the game.
• As a whole, Western shot 46.9 percent (23-of-49)from the field, 35.7 percent (5-of-14) from three and 66.7 percent (10-of-15) from the free throw line

UP NEXT
Western Colorado will be back on the court tomorrow, taking on Fort Lewis College at 5 p.m.